National Preventive Mechanism Second Annual Report 2010–11 However, detainees in most centres were not offered systematic pre-removal support. By contrast, at Dungavel, a welfare officer met every detainee who had been served with removal directions, to ensure that their needs were being met. Overall, detainees had good access to the outside world and were able to retain their mobile telephones to facilitate this. • delays in the resolution of age-disputed cases • detainees being subjected to unnecessarily long travel and waiting times before their arrival at airports for removal • inadequate handling of detainee complaints against non-immigration agencies, such as the police. HMIP’s inspections of STHFs and escort arrangements found that progress had been made, although some problems remained. For example, the routine handcuffing of detainees through security checkpoints at Manchester Airport was thought to be unnecessary. Longest periods of detention At 31 March 2011, of the 2,655 people detained solely under Immigration Act powers, the 19 longest recorded periods of detention were: In 2010–11, the 14 IMBs carried out approximately 2,000 visits to immigration detention facilities and each board published its own annual report. The most serious issue they raised was the length of time that detainees were held in IRCs. Of the 2,655 people being detained under immigration law on 31 March 2011, 225 had been detained for more than one year.39 One person had been detained for 1,975 days (5.4 years).40 IMBs are particularly concerned about the deterioration in the mental health of detainees in long-term, indefinite detention. The following issues are also of concern to IMBs and will be closely monitored in the coming year: • detainees arriving at detention facilities with inadequately completed documentation, compromising the risk assessments necessary to allocate them to their accommodation Period of detention (years/(days)) No of people 5.4 (1,975) 1 4.3 (1,577) 1 3.8 (1,420) 1 3.8 (1,396) 1 3.7 (1,357) 1 3.6 (1,322) 1 3.5 (1,297) 1 3.5 (1,291) 1 3.3 (1,231) 1 3.3 (1,213) 1 3.3 (1,205) 2 3.2 (1,193) 1 3.1 (1,163) 1 3.1 (1,141) 1 3.0 (1,125) 1 3.0 (1,123) 1 3.0 (1,115) 1 3.0 (1,114) 1 3.0 (1,107) 1 39 Home Office, Control of immigration: quarterly statistical summary, United Kingdom Quarter 1 2011 ( January – March) (2011). 40 Information about the longest periods of detention was published by the government following a freedom of information request – see www.medicaljustice.org.uk/information-gathering/foi-requests.html. 44